TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) — In Tuesday’s episode of Run for Fun, we discuss the importance of cadence. Cadence is the number of steps you take while running in one minute.
For many years, the goal has been for runners to reach 180 steps per minute. While that won’t be a perfect cadence for everyone, it’s a good goal. The higher cadence means the runner needs to take much shorter strides.
Leigh Spann and Coach Maria discuss ways to work on your cadence and how to track it.
Remember, you’re only propelling yourself forward when a foot is pushing off the ground, so you want as many steps as possible. These shorter steps can also help lower your injury risk by keeping you in the correct running form.
The ideal form is landing with your foot directly underneath your body and not extended in front. It also keeps you lighter on your feet.
Even when you’re running slowly, you can still have a high cadence if you focus on keeping your feet underneath you and pushing back from the ground.
With a higher cadence, you may notice that running doesn’t feel as difficult. You may even notice it’s more fun. For more tips on making running more enjoyable, watch or listen to previous episodes of Run for Fun.
